Today's Scripture Reading (May 9, 2022): 1 Chronicles 3
Biblical names can be confusing. Several people referred to in the
Bible seem to possess multiple names. A good example is the second last king of Judah, Jehoiachin. Depending on the version of
the Bible you might be reading, his name might be rendered as Jehoiachin, yet
in other places,
he is known as Jeconiah. The prophet Jeremiah used the nickname "Coniah" to refer to him, yet all are references to the same king. The New International Version, and some other modern translations of the Bible, have tried to harmonize the names used to refer to the penultimate
King of Judah. The translators of the NIV have attempted to minimize the confusion
by using the name Jehoiachin throughout the books of the Bible, even in the writings of Jeremiah.
Jehoiachin's reign was a short one. He ascended to the throne of
Judah on December 9, 598 B.C.E But in March 597 B.C.E., just a little more than three months into the reign of Jehoiachin, Babylon seized control of Jerusalem and tried to decapitate
the nation. While they didn't kill the leadership, they arrested the rich and
powerful of the city, including the young Jehoiachin. On March 15 or 16 597 B.C.E.,
they carried these prestigious people away to Babylon to spend the rest of their lives exiled to a foreign land.
The age of Jehoiachin when he came
to power is a matter of debate, with competing texts arguing that he was either
eight or eighteen when he rose to the throne. The difference is written off as
a copyist error, but whatever his age, he seems to have been very young when he
spent his three months on the throne of the country. It seems likely that some,
if not all, of Jehoiachin's children might have been born in exile.
What might be even more surprising is that, at such a young age, Jehoiachin had aroused the anger of Jeremiah. The prophet remained in Jerusalem and wrote during all of the various Babylonian deportations. Writing during the years of
the Exile, Jeremiah pronounces this curse on Jehoiachin and his children.
This is what the Lord says:
"Record this man as if
childless,
a man who will not prosper in his lifetime,
for none of his
offspring will prosper,
none will sit on the throne of David
or rule anymore in Judah" (Jeremiah 22:30).
It is not that Jehoiachin didn't have any children; we know that he did. But as far as the royal line is
concerned, none of his sons would sit on the throne. But there is an important caveat to
that statement. Jehoiachin and his eldest
son, Shealtiel, are listed in Jesus's genealogy at the beginning of Matthew's gospel. And while Jesus never sat physically on the throne of Israel,
Christians have long believed that Jesus is their spiritual king and the king that
had long been prophesied that would come to save the people from their sin.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Chronicles 4
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